Sole-blocking machine.



No. 726,768. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

F. 0. SGHRYBURT. SOLE BLOGKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, 1902. 7

N0 MODEL. V 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

b--lQ l l a Witnesses:

PATQENTED APR. 28, 1903.

F. 0. SGHRYBURT. SOLE BLOCKING MACHINE. APPLICATION nLnp no. a, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 N0 MODEL ,AQM

Attorneys NOTO-LITHQ, vusnmnmu, n. c

PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

P. 0. SGHRYBURT.

SOLE BLOCKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED D130. 3, 1902.

I 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

.NO MODEL.

Eazzpag 5 lnyentor,

' Witnesses:

UNITE TATE-S SOLE-BLOCKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,768. dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed December 3, 1902. Serial No.133,654. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCOIS OGTAVE SOHRYBURT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city and district of Quebec, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Sole-Blocking Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to boot'sole-blocking machines.

As is well known by persons familiar with the shoe-making art, the soles of boots or shoes are usually cut by means of dies, which dies are substantially the same shape and size of the sole and which comprise a continuous blade or knife passing completely around the die. These dies must of necessity be provided in great numbers of various sizes and shapes. In the operation of making the soles with these dies it has been the practice to arrange the successive positions of the die in cutting the soles, so that there will be a minimum loss of leather between the adjacent soles; but between each pair of soles there must necessarily be a strip of leather which is Wasted, and this strip is always present, because the outlines of the two adjacent soles do not conform so nearly to each other as to enable one cut to suffice for two adjacent soles.

The object of this invention is to produce a machine for the purpose of blocking out boot-soles with great rapidity and accuracy and at the same time with great economy of leather. Its practice enables a single cut to suffice for a boot-sole formed on either side of said out.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and definitely set forth in the claims. A l l e In its general construction my invention comprises a pair of knives adapted to cut the opposite edges of boot-soles, and a strip of leather is manipulated so that these knives operate alternately upon it to block out the soles. An auxiliary knife simultaneously cuts the soles to the proper length, and gages :upon the aforesaid guides 2.

cooperating with the knives adapt the mech= 'anisrn for cutting the soles to proper sizes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my invention in front elevation. Fig. 2 represents the same in rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan section taken substantially in the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on a line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section passing through the knives and certain gages used in connection with my machine. Fig. 7 represents a strip of leather, showing how a plurality of boot-soles could be cut from the same by means of my invention. Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken in a plane parallel to that in whichFig. 4 is taken and passing through the axis of the screw 24. x

Throughout the drawings and specification the same numerals of reference denote like parts.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents a base-plate which may be pro- .vided with upright guides 2, arranged on either side of a cutting-block 3, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 1. There is provided a cross-head or press-beam 4, movably mounted An arrangement is made which mayinclude a link 5 and pin 6 for raising or lowering this beam at the will of the operator.

To the vertical guides 2there is attached a pair of gages 7 and 8, which may be clamped thereto by means of the caps 9 and bolts 10. These gages include heads 11, which have lateral extensions 12, guided upon the gages, and these extensions are provided with longitudinal slots 13, through which clamping-screws 14 pass, enabling the heads 11 to be secured inany desired position, thearrangement being such that the direction of the heads 11 is substantially at right angles to the face of the block 3. An opposite pair of theeiitensions 12 may be provided with scales 15, cooperating with marks 16 forthe purpose ofarranging the gages toco'rrespond with different sizes of soles to be cut. Thus the gages are now set at the N0. 9, so as to adapt the machine for blocking the soles of No. 9 youths size. I

The aforesaid cross-head 4 is formed with a substantially horizontal flat lower face 65, and upon this lower face there is attached a plate 17, which plate conforms in outline substantially to the lower face 65. There is provided a knife 18, which is disposed in a plane substantially parallel with the inner face 19 of the aforesaid gage-heads 11. It is carried in a holder 20, which holder is provided with a rabbet 21, which receives the lower corner of the plate 17 at its forward edge, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 8. Clamping-screws 22 afford means for holding this knife in the holder. This holder is further provided with a slot 23, through which passes a screw or bolt 24, which operates to maintain the same in position and permits a limited movement of the holder to and fro, as will be readily understood. At its forward edge this holder is provided with clamping thumb-screws 25, which afiord means for clamping the holder in any position desired, the extremities of these thumb-screws resting against the forward edge of the plate 17 for the purpose.

At this point there is provided a scale 26 upon the cross-head 4, and the knife-holder is provided with a mark 27 cooperating with the same, so that the knife 18 may be set in different positions corresponding to different sizes of soles to be blocked. Thus the knife is now set at No. 9, so that the machine is now adapted for blocking out the size No. 9. This knife-holder may be additionally guided in the direction of this possible adjustment by means of the groove 28 and the tongue 29 cooperating therewith.

Beneath the plate 17 aforesaid there is provided a pair of knives, (indicated, respectively, by the numerals 30 and 31,) and these knives are held in place in suitable holders 32 by means of clamping screws 33. It may be stated at this point that these knives are substantially of the outline shown and are complementary to each other, as it were, in their form, one being intended to cut one side of the sole and the other being intended to cut the opposite side. Behind these knives there are arranged a pair of gage-plates 34 and 35, and these gages, as will be observed, have substantially the same outlines, respectively, as the aforesaid knives 30 and 31, their position, however, being reversed, as will appear. These gages 34 and 35 are supported upon the short vertical rods 66, which rods have their upper extremities secured in heads 36 and 37, the numeral 36 being applied to that pair of heads each of which is located at the outer extremity of the gages adjacent to the guides 2. The heads 36 are carried upon the extremities of long horizontal studs 46 and'47, which are mounted in the extremities of the plate 17, as shown, their opposite extremities being threaded, as indicated, and passing through threaded knobs 39, which knobs afford means for adjusting the position of the gages, as will be readily understood. At the rear side beneath the plate 17 there is provided a bearing 40, in which is mounted a horizontal rearwardly-projecting stud 41, having a portion 42 of normal diameter and an extension 43 of reduced diameter,as shown, the extremity of this stud being provided with a knob 44 for turning the same. The aforesaid heads 37 are provided with threaded openings, which afford means for mounting them upon the different portions of this stud 40, and from this arrangement it should appear that if the knob 44 were rotated the inner extremities of the gages 34 and 35 would be adjusted with respect to the knives 30 and 31 aforesaid. Helical springs 38 are provided between the plate 17 and the heads 36, affording means for maintaining the outer extremities of these gages in the rearmost position which the knobs 39 will allow. From this construction it would also appear that by manipulating the knob 44 in connectionwith the knobs 39 the gages 34 and 35 could be given any desired adjustment, and the aforesaid short rods 66 may be loosely mounted in the gages to permit of a freer adjustment 'of the same. It should be stated that the pitch of the thread upon the extremity of thestu d 46 aforesaid is preferably sixteen threads to the inch, and this is also true of the portion 43 of the stud 41. However, the pitch of the threaded extremity of the stud 47 is preferably twelve threads to the inch, and so is the threaded portion 42 of the stud 40. This is for a purpose which will appear later.

The knives 30 and 31, which are shown in section in Fig. 6, consist, substantially, of flat blades sharpened upon their lower edges and bent in a vertical plane so as to have substantially the outline shown in plan, and, as stated, the gages 34 and 35 are similarly shaped, the gage 34 having the form of the knife 30 and the gage 35 having the'shape of the knife 31, but being in a reversed position. These gages comprise vertically-disposed faces 48 and 49 and are further provided with light flanges 50 on their lower edges. Referring again to the form of theknife 30, it should appear that this comprises substantially parallel extensionsfil, connected byan inclined portion 52, which inclined portion connects, by means of suitable curves, with the extensions 51. This portion 52 is intended to cut that portion of the sole edge whichlies between the shank and the ball of the sole.

The portions 51 are intended to cut a portion of the edge of the sole for the heel and toe,

as should be clearly understood from an in incide exactly with its cutting edge.

heel of the sole.

versed in position and applied again to the knife, so as to coincideexactly with its cutmiddle point between the tip of the toe of the sole to be cut and the heel thereof, so that in this case also the edge of the sole which was cut by this knife could be reversed in position in the same manner, so that it could be applied again to the knife and co- This property of these knives is due to the fact that they are symmetrical and that the contours of the blades occur at a pointwhich will be the middle point between the tip and An inspection of Fig. 7 may make this matter much clearer. In this figure an uncut leather strip is shown, and lines are shown indicating the successive positions of three soles 56, 57, and 58, and'liues 59 indicating the points and shape of an edge which will be made by the successive cuts of the knives.

I shall now describe the operation of this machine and the process of blocking soles by its means: Suppose that the size of the' soles to be cut I is No. 9. The scales 15 and 26 aforesaid would then be adjusted so as to read 9. Studs 46 and 47 would then be adjusted, by means of knobs 39, to the proper last,

- this knob 44 will adjust simultaneously the inch, while the portion 43 had a pitch oftwelve threads per inch, and from this arrangement it follows that adjusting the stud 40 has the effect of moving the extremity of the gageplate 34 through twelfths of an inch, while the extremity of the gage-plate 35 is moved through sixteenths of an'inch. This is the preferred proportion, because it will be understood that an adjustment at this point, as far asthe gage-plate 34 is concerned, is to measure the last of the sole substantially at the ball'of the foot,- while an adjustment at this point, as far as the gage-plate 33 is concerned, relates to the width of the shoe at the heel. An inspection of Fig. tiin this connection may elucidate the matter. A strip of leather 67 is taken and held with its edge against the edge 19 of the right gagehead 11, its. inner edge not being held sufficiently far beneath the machine, however, as to lie under the knife 30. The cross-head 4 is then allowed to descend, whereupon the knife 18 makes a longitudinal incision 68 in the strip,

cutting the proper length of the sole. The strip is now turned over,' and its "outer edge is applied to the knife 31, so as 'totrimthe same, theedge 60 of the strip beingheld against the inner face of the left-hand gagehead ll during the cutting operation of the This strip is then again turn'ed over until it comes again into theposition in which it is shown in Fig. 7, and the width adjustments having been made the strip is then slid" knife.

the machine is operated so that the 'cro'ss-' head 4 descends again, the knife 30 passing through the strip and cutting ofi or blocking the sole 56. At the same time the knife 18 makes another longitudinal incision, cutting the length of the next solo. The strip is then turned over again and the edge 60 held against the face of the left-hand gage-head, and it is pushed back until its outer edge 62 lies against the face of the gage-plate 35. 'This edge 62 t will conform exactly to the shape ofthegageplate 35, as will be understood, and is held thereagainst, while the cross-head 4 is al-" lowed to descend again,=the knife 31 operating to cut ofi or block the sole '57. In this manner the operation proceeds, the leather strip being applied alternately to the two knives and in reversed positions, and it will appear that with this arrangement there is but one cut made between two adjacent soles, one cut, whetherrepresenting .the inner or outer edge of the sole, corresponding per-.

fectly to the shape of the sole formed on The dotted lines 63 and 64 (shown in Fig. 6)

indicate the mode of operation of the knives and their gage-platesm'ost clearly.

By the use of this invention it is-possible in practice to cut soles of several difierentwidths with the same knives, having made the proper adjustments or changesin the p07 sition of the knives and their= gage=platesa Of course there would be provided a sufficient number of knives and gage-plates to correspond to the mens sizes, ladies" sizes, and

It-followsthat there I I 0 Alternate soles youths sizes; but in every-case those'knives and gage-plates which correspond to a par ticular length of solewould be capable of'sufficie'nt adjustments when placed-in the Ina-- chine to enable them to block soles of many different sizes or lasts.

In order to finish the solesafter they have been blocked,a numberof them can be fastened together with theiroutlines in conformity, and they can then be operated upon by the heel-machine. The soles may then be trimmed into the desired form at the toe.

While I have shown a preferred form of my invention, it should be understoodthat I do not limit myself to the precise form shown; and I may make changes in the position and form of the parts without affecting the operativeness or utility of the invention, and I reserve the right to make all such n1odifications as are included within the scope of the following claims or of mechanical equivalents to the structures set forth. 1

What I consider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a pair of knives conforming substantially in outline to a portion of the. opposite sides of the sole of a foot and gage-plates cooperating therewith, said gage-plates conthe outline of opposite sides of the sole of a; foot, a gage cooperating with said knives so as to effect longitudinal adjustments with re-. spect'to the same and other gages cooperating with said knives so as to efiect transversead; justments with respect to said knives.

3. In a sole-blocking machine, in combina# tion, a pair ofknives disposed longitudinally one in advance of the other and conforming in shape substantially to the outline of a per-1 tion of opposite sides of the sole of a foot, a third knife, gages cooperating with said third knife to measure distances from the plane thereof, and other gages cooperating with said pair of knives and adapted to measure; distances therefrom. I

4. In a sole-blocking machine in combina-i tion, a pair of knives which conform substantially to a portion of the outline of oppo-g site sides of the sole of a foot, a third knife disposed substantially at right angles thereto, gages adapted to measure distances from the: plane of said third knife and gage-plates cooperating with said pair of knives, said gageplates conforming substantially to a portion of the outline of the sole of a foot.

5 In a sole-blocking machine, in combination, a knife conforming substantially toa portion of the outline of one side of the sole of a foot, a second knife conforming substantially to a portion of the outline of the opposite side of the sole of a foot, said knives being disposed substantially in the same direction, a third knife disposed substantially at right angles thereto, gages cooperating with said third knife and adapted to measure distances from the same and gage-plates 00- operating with said first and second knives and adapted to measure distances therefrom.

6. In a sole-blocking machine, in oombination, a knife conforming substantially to a portion of .the outline of one side of the sole of a foot, a second knife conforming substantially to a portion of the outline of the opposite side of the sole of a foot, said knives being disposed substantially in the same direction, a third knife, disposed substantially at right angles to said direction, means for adjusting said third knife longitudinally with respect to said first knives, gages cooperating with said third knife and adapted to measure distances therefrom, and gage-plates disposed substantially in the same direction as said first and second knives, and cooperating therewith.

7. In a sole-blocking machine, in combination, a knife conforming substantially to a portion of the outline of the sole of a foot, a secondknife conforming substantially to a portion of the outline of the opposite side of the sole of a foot, said knives being disposed substantially in the same direction, a third knife disposed substantially at right angles to the direction in which said first knives extend, gages cooperating therewith, means for adjusting said third knife longitudinally with respect to said knives and gage-plates cooperating with said first and second knives, said gage-plates conforming respectively to a portion of the outline of the sole of a foot opposite to that of the knife corresponding thereto.

8. In a sole-blocking machine, in combination, a plate, a pair of knives carried by the lower face thereof, a block therebelow with which said knives cooperate to out one side of a sole, said knives being disposed one in advance of the other and extending substantially in the same direction beneath said plate, a third knife disposed substantially at right angles to the direction of said first knives, said third knife being carried near the adjacent extremities of said knives, gages cooperating with said third knife and adapted to measure the lengths of soles and gageplates cooperating with said pair of knives and adapted to measure the widths of soles.

9. In a sole-blocking machine, in combination, a plate, a knife carried by the lower face thereof and conforming in outline suhstantially to one side of the sole of a foot, a second knife carried by the lower side of said plate and conforming substantially in outline to the opposite side of the sole of a foot, one of said knives being disposed in advance of the other, a third knife disposed substantially at right angles to the direction of said first knives and located substantially near the adjacent extremities of said first knives,

a gage cooperating therewith and adapted to measure sole lengths therefrom, and gageplates cooperating with said first knives and adapted to measure sole widths from the same.

10. -In asole-blocking machine, in combination, a plate, a knife carried by the lower face thereof and conforming substantially to the outline of one side of a boot-sole, a second knife carried by lower face of said plate, said second knife conforming substantially to the outline of the other sideof a boot-sole butin a reversed position, said knives being arranged one in advance of the other, gages arranged respectively near the remote extremities of said knives and adapted to measure distances longitudinally with respect to said knives, and gage-plates arranged ppposite said knives and adapted to measuresole 12. In a sole-blocking machine, in combina tion, a plate, a pair ofknives carried thereby said knives being disposed one in advance of the other and adapted to cut opposite edges of a boot-sole, said knives being disposed so that the heel portion of the one in advance is adjacent tothe toe portion of the one behind, a pair of gage-plates cooperating with said knives and having outlines corresponding to the opposite knife, threaded members conv tion, a block, a plate ther'e'ab'ove, knives carstituting supports for said gage plates at their remote extremities and a threaded member constituting a support for said gage-plates at their adjacent extremities, said last threadedv member having portionsof different pitch effecting correspondingly different adj ustments of said gage-plates.

13. In asole-blocking machine, in combination, a plate, a pair of knives carried thereby, said knives being disposed one in advance of the other longitudinally and conforming substantiallyin outline to the opposite edges of a boot-sole, means formeasurin'g sole widths from said knives, said means including threaded members disposed transversely with respect to said knives and arranged at the remote extremities of said knives, one of said i V hand in the presence of two witnesses;

threaded members being adapted to measure the heel widths of difierent sizes of boots, the

other of said threaded members being adapted to measure the toe widths of diflerent sizes, and a third threaded member disposed near the adjacent extremities of said knives and having distinct portions cooperating respectively with said first threaded members, said distinct portions beingadapted to measure respectively the heel widths and the toe widths of difierent boot sizes.

14. In a sole-blockin g machine, in combination, a, plate, a pair of knives disposed longi tudinally thereof and one in advance of the other, said knives being adapted to out the opposite edges of a boot-sole, threaded studs projecting transversely with respect to said knives and carried by said plate near the extremities thereof, a third threaded stud carried by said plate'near the adjacent extremities of said knives, and gage-plates carried by'said" studs and cooperating said knives.

a 15. Inasole-blocking machine, in combination, a block, a plate arranged thereabove,

knives carried by the lower side of said plate and adapted to out opposite edges of a bootsole, said knives being disposed one in ad- Vance of the other, a third knife carried by said plate and disposed substantially at right 16. In a sole-blocking machinefin combinaried by said plate, and cooperating with said 'block to cut respectively the opposite edges of aboot-sole, a third knifejcarried by said plate and disposed substantially at rightangles to the direction of said pair of knives, gages resting upon theface of said block and adapted to measure longitudinallywith respect to said pair of k nives',threaded studs carried, by said plate near the extremities thereof, gage-plates carried by said studs and cooperating with saidpair of knives, springs adjacent to the said studs and constraining said gage-plates, a third threaded studadapted to carry' the" adjacent extremities of said gage-plates. t d

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my FRANCQIS ocrz v'r SOHRYBURT. Witnesses! 'THnoPHILE GossELIN,

J EAN-BAPTIs'rE BELANGER.

ICC 

